P-05-832 To Amend the School Admissions Code Relating to Summer-Born Children, Correspondence –Newport City Council to Chair, 11.01.19
Dear Colleague
In relation to the request dated 4th December 2018 in relation to the petition to amend the School Admissions Code relating to Summer-born children, the response from Newport City Council is as follows:
Narrative from the Council’s School Admissions Policy for the 2018/19 academic year
Paragraph 2 Primary Admission
2.1 Children can start school in the September following their fourth birthday. Attending a nursery class does not guarantee a place at any primary or infant school as a separate application is required, and priority is not given to those children attending any specific nursery setting.
2.2 The legal requirements confirm that parents are able to delay the admission of their child (defer entry) until the term following their fifth birthday, and such a request will not prejudice an application in any way. It is the council’s expectation however that on starting school the child will continue to follow their chronological year group unless exceptional circumstances apply (see paragraph 7 Admission outside the normal age group).
2.3 Where a parent exercises their right to defer their child’s entry into Reception until later in the same school year, the effect is that the place is held for the child and is not available to be offered to another child within the same academic year. The parents would not however be able to defer entry beyond the beginning of the term after the child’s fifth birthday, nor beyond the school year for which the application was made.
2.4 For example:
|
Term in which child turns 5 |
Start date can be deferred until beginning of which term? |
Can the place be held open for the child? |
Year Group into which the child will be admitted
|
|
Autumn |
Spring |
Yes |
Reception |
|
Spring |
Summer |
Yes |
Reception |
|
Summer |
Autumn |
No |
Year 1 |
2.5 Before deciding whether to defer their child’s entry to school, parents should contact their preferred school(s) to clarify how they cater for the youngest children in Reception and how the needs of these children are met as they move up through the school.
Paragraph 7 - Admission outside the normal age group
It is the council’s expectation that children are taught in their chronological year group, unless exceptional circumstances apply. Generally these exceptional circumstances relate to children with additional learning needs or those who have experienced problems or missed part of a year, often due to ill health. Where there are exceptional circumstances, consideration will be given to a parent’s request for admission outside the normal age group. However please note that there is no right of appeal if a place has been offered but not in the desired year group.
For information, the determined policy in respect of the 2019/20 academic year is unchanged in this respect, and the Council has no other specific policy in operation in relation to summer-born children.
Requests received in relation to mainstream pupils
A breakdown of the requests received in relation to mainstream pupils over the past three years is detailed below:
|
Year |
Requests for deferral |
Reason |
Granted |
Refused |
Where granted, child admitted within or outside NAG? |
|
2018 |
1* |
Summer-born child |
|
1 |
|
|
2017 |
1 |
Summer-born child with previous medical circumstances |
|
1 |
|
|
2016 |
1** |
Summer- born child with hypermobility |
|
1 |
|
* The request was to be admitted to Reception in 2019
** The request was to be admitted to Reception in 2017
The Council has published guidance on the admission of pupils outside the chronological year group:
Cofion gorau / Kind regards
Deborah Weston
Deborah Weston
Rheolwr y Gwasanaethau Addysg / Education Service Manager
Addysg / Education
Cyngor Dinas Casnewydd / Newport City Council